PMD4: Rangers of Space and the Elements
by animatedrose
Summary: In a land ruined by elemental disasters and spatial distortions, a young Pikachu must join a Ranger Team to help save the planet from a corrupted Palkia. But when the Ranger Heads disappear, the cadets must fight not only to save Poke Town but themselves!
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

Darkness... That was all she was able to see. Her memory was a huge blank, leaving only her name and that she was...human? What's a human? And why was it so dark? "Mmm..." Slowly, she opened her eyes. "Ugh...W-where am I?" All she could see was forest all around her and the sound of water nearby. _How did I get here? Where is here?_

Pain shot through her tiny body. Something on her head slipped a bit, shading her blue eyes from view. She winced. "Ugh...too sleepy...drifting..." Her eyes closed. _Someone...help...me..._

As the girl passed out, she and her location are finally revealed. The girl is a small yellow mouse with red spots on her cheeks and a lightning bolt-shaped tail curved inward near the tip. A large black baseball cap with gold near the brim and the letters IL printed on the back rested on her head. She was on the grass beside a river that flowed under a nearby bridge.

Elsewhere, in a town not far from the unconscious girl's location, many strange creatures went about their daily lives. These creatures were called Pokemon and they alone inhabited this land. Humans died out centuries ago, leaving Pokemon to learn and adapt to their new lives. They no longer seemed to need humans to care for them anymore.

This is Poke Town, a peaceful town where Pokemon live in harmony. But all is not well in their land. Great elemental disasters and spatial distortions have made the land a dangerous place to live in. Ranger Teams were made to help deal with the many distress calls of Pokemon in danger. The most famous of all was the Poke Town Ranger Station, led by Ranger Head Garchomp and twelve other elite Ranger Team leaders. Now, a mysterious Pokemon has washed up on the edge of the river. The start of a whole new adventure is about to begin...

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 4: Rangers of Space and the Elements

Chapter 1: Two Troublemakers and A Human

Poke Town was a pleasant place to live for all Pokemon. With the Poke Town Ranger Station guarding it alongside the Poke Town Defense Squad (PTDS), it was rarely in danger of an attack. But that did nothing to stop threats from the inside, from within Poke Town itself. Especially two particularly mischievous pranksters who made life more exciting and exhausting, mainly to the ones ordered to catch them.

A small pink and cream cat Pokemon raced alongside a yellow mouse with a lightning bolt-shaped tail. A Skitty and a Pikachu, two troublesome youngsters who loved pulling pranks on anyone they think of as easy prey. This time they made the big mistake of targeting Rio Lucar, a local Lucario with a nasty attitude toward kids aside from his little sister. Now they were on the run from him and his Aura Sphere attacks.

"Waah! Rose, this was a bad idea!" the Pikachu cried.

"Then why do you sound so proud of yourself, Volt?" the Skitty, Rose, demanded. "Besides, this was your idea!"

"Was not!" the Pikachu, Volt, disagreed. "It was yours!"

"I don't care whose idea it was! You're both dead meat!" Lucar, as he was usually called, roared before charging up another Aura Sphere. It sent the duo flying when it hit the ground just behind them, giving the Lucario just enough time to catch up to them. "Got you! Force Palm!"

"The forest! Get to the forest, Volt!" Rose shouted, racing away.

"Got it!" Volt tore away too, escaping the blow by inches.

As the two troublemakers vanished into the forest, Lucar growled in annoyance. "Stupid kids!" Turning on his heel, he stalked away. "Whatever. The PTDS will catch them anyhow, just like they always do. Now, time to get back home to Luminia." He raced away, intent on returning to his sister's side.

Rose and Volt continued running, certain that they had escaped the angry Lucario. Pausing to catch their breath, they never noticed a pair of vines slowly closing in on them from above. The twin vines struck with deadly accuracy, tying the duo up in an instant. As they struggled, a green dinosaur-like creature with a green bulb on its back jumped down from the tree and smiled.

"Well, well. Look who I caught today." the Bulbasaur giggled. Her vines tightened a bit more as a purple bat flew overhead. "Sentry, Lightning, down here!"

The bat landed, all four wings flapping as another Pikachu jumped down off its back. This Pikachu was smaller than Volt was but stayed close to his Crobat companion. The Bulbasaur's smile widened as a Mudkip and a Cyndaquil stepped out from the bushes. "Good catch, Viney," the Cyndaquil praised.

"Thanks, Blitz. It was easy since they never seem to look up." She chuckled.

"What do we do with them now?" the small Pikachu, Lightning, asked. "Do we bring them to the elders?"

The elders were five old Pokemon that lived on the outskirts of the village and made most of the decisions for the town. It was their idea to build the Ranger Station and placed Garchomp as its leader. The five elders were Whiscash, Espeon, Umbreon, Kecleon, and Mightyena. Unfortunately, elders Espeon and Umbreon happened to be Rose's caretakers.

"Yeah, to the elders with them!" the Mudkip cried.

"I agree with Mudpuppy, Blitz." The Crobat, Sentry, muttered. "Let the elders sort it out...again."

"I know, I know," the Cyndaquil nodded. "I just wish these two would stop being such pests."

"Like you're any better!" Rose hissed.

"At least we _protect_ Poke Town instead of _torment_ it!" Blitz yelled. "We're doing something useful and you're just being annoying brats. No wonder nobody can stand either of you!"

"You shut up!" Volt yelled.

"Be quiet!" Mudpuppy the Mudkip screamed, silencing everyone. "Blitz, don't drop to their level like that. Let's just drop them on the elders' doorstep and get on with our job, okay?"

"Urrr...fine. Let's go, guys." The five Pokemon took off for Poke Town and walked through the street, dragging Rose and Volt behind them with Viney's vines. The residents just stared at them and shook their heads in shame. Then the whispers started.

"What did they do this time?"

"Why are they such troublesome kids? Where are their parents?"

"They're making a fool of this town. Why are the elders allowing this behavior to continue?"

"How can anyone stand them, especially poor elder Espeon and elder Umbreon? That Skitty must be horrid."

"No wonder those Raichu decided to die in battle. Who'd want a troublesome kid like him?"

Volt whimpered, closing his eyes. Rose simply growled, struggling to get free. How _dare_ they say that about them? They didn't know them, so why judge them? Sure, they caused trouble but they had their reasons. The Skitty just prayed that they hadn't finally lost the elders' patience with them.

A few minutes later, they were tied back-to-back in the center of the elders' hut. Espeon and Umbreon didn't look Rose in the eye, instead choosing to chat with their fellow elders. Rose really couldn't blame them for acting like that. Volt remained quiet, the villagers' words running through his head. The chatter finally ended. They would be given their punishment now.

"We have come to the decision that will, hopefully, reform you two for the better." Whiscash stated. "We shall enroll you two in the Poke Ranger Station's Ranger program."

"What?!" Rose cried. "Forget it! I won't do it!"

"You don't have a choice in the matter, Rose." Mightyena growled. "That is for us to decide, not you."

"Rose, Volt," Espeon said. "Return to your homes and gather what little belongings you have. You'll be leaving for the Ranger Station once you're ready to go. I'll drop you off nearly the bridge."

"Then what?" Volt asked hesitantly.

"You'll travel through Beau Plains and reach the Ranger Station." Umbreon answered. "You might want to go fast if you hope to get there before nightfall."

"But—" Volt cried.

"This meeting is finished, yes? Then let us be off!" Kecleon, the father of the Kecleon brothers that ran the Kecleon Market, urged. He stood up and headed for a door to their left. "I am taking a nap. Have fun!" He vanished.

"Rose, let's go home and get you packed." Espeon said softly, using her psychic powers to untie the duo. "Umbreon, dear, could you escort Volt home so he can pack?"

"Of course. Let's go, Volt." The Dark-type led the Pikachu through the door and headed for a run-down hut not far from the elders' home.

Espeon, on the other hand, led Rose back toward Poke Town and entered a hut near the center of the town. Grumbling angrily, the Skitty grabbed a few items she kept and a black scarf with a single thunderbolt in the center. The scarf was something she had kept with her since her parents died and she came to live with elder Espeon and elder Umbreon. It was the only thing she had of her parents' things.

"Ready, Rose?" Espeon asked.

"No," Rose muttered. "I don't want to go. I want to stay here."

"Honey, the life of a Ranger is more exciting than living here in the town." Espeon explained. "With your adventurous attitude, I just know you'll love it."

_Yeah right,_ Rose thought. _I'll enjoy saving others when the world ends._

"Ready? Good. Then let's head for the edge of the village." Espeon said. "The PTDS will guide you to the bridge after that. You'll be left on your own then. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Rose replied. "Let's just go and get this over with."

"...Alright. Follow me."

The two Pokemon left the hut and headed west, going toward the edge of the forest. They passed Rio Lucar on their way by and he simply smirked at Rose. He knew she'd be forced out of the village sooner or later. As they walked deeper into the forest, they entered the clearing where Rose and Volt had been caught only an hour ago. Standing in the clearing were the members of the PTDS and Volt. Umbreon had already left.

Upon seeing her, Volt dashed behind Rose in fear. Espeon said her goodbyes and left, leaving the troublemaking duo to their fate. Blitz, the Cyndaquil from earlier, stepped forward. "Okay, we're going this way. You two better stay close 'cause if you get left behind, we're not waiting around for you to catch up. Either keep up or go your own way. Understand?"

"Yeah, whatever," Rose growled. "You better keep up too."

"Rose!" Volt whimpered.

"Hmph! Keep that attitude of yours in check too, Rose." Viney added.

Rose hissed and started whispering to Volt the instant the group took off for the bridge on the far eastern edge of Poke Town. The bridge spanned across the Magikarp River, which was constantly filled with Magikarp and only Magikarp. The forest they were headed through was the Fall Forest, a forest that surrounded the northern and eastern borders of Poke Town and was home to very few Pokemon. The northern half had caught on fire a few days ago, making it treacherous to currently go through.

"Rose, is being a Ranger all that bad?" Volt asked.

"Who knows? All I know is that there are tons of rules and stuff there." Rose replied.

"So...no more pranks?"

"Not unless you are certain you can run fast. But I'm sure that won't stop us from terrorizing the Ranger Heads until they go insane." Rose said. "We'll make them ever regret trying to reform us."

"Um, actually..."

"What now, Volt?"

"Maybe it'll be nice there." Volt mumbled.

"What?! You can't be serious."

"I am though!" the Pikachu countered. "Maybe they'll be able to finally understand us. They might not judge us anymore like the villagers did. Maybe they can actually help us, Rose!"

"Yeah right! You're delusional, Volt."

"We're here!" Mudpuppy barked, catching the duo's attention. He gestured to the small stone bridge leading across the river. "You just cross that bridge and enter that forest. Beau Plains is just beyond there. Get through that dungeon and you'll be right in front of the Poke Town Ranger Station."

"D-d-dungeon?!" Volt yelped.

"Yeah, that's right. It's a mystery dungeon." Blitz explained. "Mystery dungeons are, as the name says, mysterious places with many floors that lead to a certain destination once you conquer a certain amount of floors. The floor layout changes each time you enter the dungeon, so you never know what to expect when you enter one. The good thing is that you can find really cool items in the dungeons and gain experience by battling the local Pokemon."

"Wait, we have to fight?!" Volt cried. "We can't do that!"

"I bet we can!" Rose argued.

"I'm not done yet." Blitz said. "The bad thing happens if you get beaten. Once you are defeated in a mystery dungeon, three things will happen to you. One, you'll lose all the money you brought or found in that dungeon. Two, you'll lose half or more of the items you find in that dungeon. And three, you get kicked right out of the dungeon."

"You're kidding!" Volt gasped. "Rose, we can't do this! We just can't!"

"We can and we will, Volt! Just trust me, okay?" the Skitty yelled. "We'll show them who's boss. Let's go!"

"One more thing, you two," Blitz called. "Since you don't have a Ranger Bag yet, you can only carry one item each."

"Sure, whatever. See you losers later!" Rose taunted, sticking her tongue out at them as the PTDS vanished into the forest. "Come on, let's do this!"

"Hang on, Rose. Don't you smell that?" Volt asked.

"If you mean the Magikarp, yes."

"No, that other smell!"

"What other smell?"

"Just take a sniff and you'll know!"

Rose sniffed and her ears twitched in surprise. "You're right, Volt. Someone else is already here. Let's check it out!" The Skitty raced down to the river's edge and peered under the bridge. "Volt, get over here! Someone's unconscious under the bridge!"

"What?!" Volt cried, shocked. "Okay, I'm coming!"

Sliding down the hill leading from the bridge to the river's edge, the Pikachu and Skitty both stared at the unconscious Pokemon. It was a female Pikachu with a black bowl on her head! Reaching in, Rose poked her arm. "Hey, wake up. Hello? Is anyone in there? Yoo-hoo?"

"Ugh..."

"AAAH!" The duo retreated a few feet, returning once they confirmed it was just the stranger. "Hey, are you okay? Please wake up!" Volt begged, shaking the Pikachu.

"Huh?" The Pikachu opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. _Who's there? Mom? Dad? Hello?_ Then the Pikachu stared in shock. _Pokemon?!_

"Hey! It's good to see you're awake." Volt said, smiling. "Are you okay?"

The Pikachu simply nodded. "Who...are you? Where am I?" she finally asked.

"I'm Volt and this is Rose." Volt introduced.

"And you're on the edge of the Magikarp River near Beau Plains." Rose finished. "Now, who are you and what are you doing out here? Are you lost or something?"

"I...I don't know what I'm doing out here. My name is Amy." The Pikachu, Amy, replied. "And, yes, I think I'm lost. I don't know where I am or who I am. I can only remember my name and..."

"And what? What else do you remember?" Volt asked.

"I'm human. I remember that I am a human named Amy." Amy said.

Rose simply stared. "Um, Amy? You look like a normal Pikachu to me, not some human...whatever those things are!"

"A Pikachu?" Amy slowly sat up and blinked, crawling over to the river. Staring back at her was a yellow mouse with long black-tipped ears and red cheeks. Resting on her head was a black and yellow baseball cap that was a little big for her to wear now as a Pokemon. Amy gasped, clapping her paws over her mouth. _They're right! I am a Pikachu! But how did this happen? I'm human...or I once was._

"Hey, are you okay?" Volt asked.

"Volt, just leave the psycho Pikachu alone. Don't forget, we have to be at the Ranger station before nightfall and the sun is starting to set now." Rose called. "Let's go!"

"Wait, please don't leave! I don't know where to go or anything!" Amy begged.

"What should we care?" Rose hissed. "We have to be somewhere, Amy. We can't be caring for you when we have somewhere else to be!"

"We can bring her with us!" Volt suddenly said. "Maybe she can be a part of our Ranger Team when we reach the Ranger Station, Rose."

"Why are you on _her_ side?" the Skitty demanded.

"She's lost, Rose!" Volt argued. "There's nothing wrong with her tagging along until we reach the Ranger Station. Maybe someone there will recognize her or something and help her jog her memory."

"...Whatever. Fine, you can come with us but you better keep up! If you fall behind, I'm not slowing down for you!" Rose spat. "Let's go, Volt!"

"Coming!" the Pikachu nodded. "Come on, Amy. I'll take care of you. Rose seems mean but she's really nice, I swear."

"Okay..." Amy quickly followed the two strange Pokemon, wracking her brain for any ideas about her memory loss. _Why can't I remember anything? What happened to make me lose my memory? I hope this Ranger Station Volt talked about can help me._

The trio stood on the other side of the bridge at the entrance to Beau Plains. "Well, here we go." Rose muttered. "I hope we get through here before nightfall. I am _not_ sleeping in the forest, no way, no how!"

"Relax, Rose. We'll get there, I promise!" Volt chuckled. "Come on, Amy. Let's get through here and see if anyone at the Ranger Station knows you."

Amy nodded. "Thanks,"

"Sure!" Volt grinned. "It's what friends do for one another!"

_Friends,_ Amy thought. _As long as I have no memories, these two can be my first friends. I like that word: friends. It sounds nice._

"Okay, enough chatter. Let's do this!" Rose cried, racing away.

"Hey, wait for us!" Volt complained, tearing off after her.

Amy laughed and followed them. This would be the beginning of Amy's life as a Pokemon. Though she may not know it, she shall play a vital role in not only Poke Town's life but the planet's life. Her adventures with Rose and Volt begin now!

_In an alternate dimension..._

Palkia growled, glaring at the bubble in front of him. Glowing red eyes narrowed menacingly as he caught sight of Amy in the bubble. The bubble showed the Lord of Space events that were occurring throughout the many dimensions he had control over. Only recently have dark thoughts clouded his mind and destruction becoming his new goal.

Roaring in rage, Palkia smashed the bubble with his tail before turning away. He glared at the stormy skies of the dimension he had created for his domain. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed, making the Space Lord feel at peace. He remembered why he had been searching for Amy in the first place.

The girl was a threat. She was tearing apart his plans and he didn't know why! Did she even know she was doing it? He didn't know why but Amy was a threat. Not long after darkness covered his world, she had appeared and began fighting him. Flinging her into another dimension, he watched her change from human to Pokemon as each of her treasured memories was ripped away from her.

But she still came back! Palkia roared again and thrashed his tail. His plans were in motion. Spatial distortions were making Pokemon mysteriously vanish and elemental disasters were springing up everywhere. Without her memories, the girl was of little threat...unless she found him again. Seeing Palkia might trigger her memories and he couldn't allow that.

Roaring, Palkia sped off into the stormy skies and vanished. Not long ago, darkness had covered his world and corrupted Palkia, making the deity think only of destruction and world conquest. He was already planning to seal the other Legendaries away in other dimensions.

But why? Why was she such a huge threat to him? Even Palkia didn't know that. All he knew was that she needed to be destroyed...permanently.

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So, how was it? I think the last part on Palkia was a bit strange but oh well. I hope you liked it, Mist-Sensei. I might update later but once again, this was requested so it won't be my primary story. I have most of the plot thought out and written down but it's not much, just ideas with little description. Please review!

EDIT: I have decided to make Palkia a he. Sorry for a confusion with the 'it' thing. My mind must've still been on the normal Pokemon mode (where Legendaries have no genders). Thanks for pointing that out, Azure Inu. Hope you all still like it!

EDIT 2: I have changed the title to PMD4 to keep it separate from the real PMD3: Explorers of the Sky.


	2. Chapter 2: Adventures in Beau Plains

Hi again, everyone! I've decided to put up the second chapter for this so it proves I haven't left it to die. Yes, this story is kind of a combination of PMD and Ranger, as some of you have noticed. And since I'm so lazy, I have decided to turn the Friend Areas from PMD1 into mystery dungeons for this story but I have made a few dungeons of my own. I already have the full list of dungeons and their inhabitants, so I'm all set…hopefully.

As for OC teams from reviewers, I might accept a few. The ranks are a combination of both PMD games, so here's the rank list from lowest to greatest: Normal, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Super, Ultra, Hyper, Lucario, and Master. The Ranger Heads give out Secret Rank to those they deem worthy of such a thing. Naturally, cadets are below Normal Rank and Ranger Heads are above Master Rank. You must reach Master Rank to be eligible to become a Ranger Head.

As I said in another story, the true PMD3 is now in the making as a sequel to PMD2. That doesn't mean I'll give up on this, I just might change the title later. Hooray for the PMD series!

Anyways, I hope you all are still reading this. Please enjoy. Onto the story!

Chapter 2: Adventures in Beau Plains

Rose, Volt, and Amy stood before the huge wall of tall grass. Trees surrounded the outer edge of the plain, making it all a bit darker. Even when the three Pokemon stood on one another's shoulders, they still couldn't see over the top. "Man, that's tall!" Volt squeaked. "We'll never see where we're going, Rose! Maybe this was a bad idea…"

"Well, I say we can get through this!" Rose snapped. "All we have to do is fight a few enemies and find the stairs. How many floors are in this place again?"

"Um, what are you talking about?" Amy asked.

"Oh, you don't know about this stuff," Volt muttered. "Amy, this place is a mystery dungeon. We have to get through all the floors before we can get out. There's gonna be enemy Pokemon lurking in there, too. We've got to get through here before we can reach Poke Ranger Base."

"Can't we just go around?" Amy asked, looking at the trees hopefully.

"I don't think so," Volt replied. "We have to go through Beau Plains. It's our first test in becoming a Ranger Team."

"Ranger Team?" Amy repeated. "What are those?"

"Maybe Volt can explain everything to you _after_ we get through this dungeon," Rose growled. "Now quit stalling. Let's go!"

"Okay," The two Pikachu quietly followed Rose through an opening in the tall grass. They were entering their first mystery dungeon, unaware of a pair of golden eyes watching them from high up in a tree.

"So, the new cadets are here. Let's see what they can do." A green lizard-like Pokemon leaped from the tree and through the tall grass, heading for a large building on the far end of the plain. "I better tell Garchomp that three new ones are coming."

The trio had only been in the dungeon for a few minutes before Volt declared they were lost. Rose wasn't having any of that. "We are not lost, Volt! We just have to keep looking for the stairs. This is our first time in a mystery dungeon. Trust me, we're fine!"

"Well, I don't think—Rose, look out behind you!" Amy suddenly screamed.

"Huh?" Then she heard the oddest noise. Turning around, she sighed in annoyance. "Oh no, I'm in so much danger," she said sarcastically. "From someone using _Splash_ on me,"

Perched at the edge of a puddle was a small round-bodied red Pokemon with big ears, small paws and tail, and two long green sprouts growing from its head. Bright golden eyes blinked happily up at the trio as it continued splashing them with water.

"It's a…Hoppip," Volt's ears lowered in shame. "We got worked up over a harmless Hoppip."

"Sorry, Rose. I didn't know, really!" Amy said softly.

"Don't worry, Amy. Just watch me take this guy out in one hit. Tackle!" The Skitty crashed into the Hoppip, jumping backward before tackling it again. This time, the Grass-type didn't get up. "Aha! See? This is gonna be easy!"

"I guess Beau Plains is a Grass-type mystery dungeon," Volt added. "Good thing for us then. Grass-types are the weakest Pokemon out there."

"Except for Bug-types," Rose corrected. "Now _those_ are weak Pokemon!"

As the two Pokemon laughed, Amy slowly started to back up. "Um, guys? I think we should leave now. Guys? Guys!" Her eyes widened as the strange Pokemon stopped directly behind Rose. "Rose, behind you! Run!"

"Calm down, Amy. It's probably just another Hoppip," the Skitty said, still laughing.

"That doesn't look like a Hop-whatever! Rose, Volt, run!" the female Pikachu cried.

"Don't worry, I'll deal with it." Rose turned around, only to freeze. "Oh, crud…"

Instead of the Hoppip she had anticipated, a much stronger Pokemon stood there. It was a brilliant blue bird with a red chest and face. Its red feet were armed with sharp talons and its wings were sharply-shaped, obviously designed for speed. The bird-like Pokemon glared down at them angrily.

It only took seconds for Rose to come up with a plan for fighting the big bird. "RUN!!" she screamed. The trio took off, the bird following them.

"What is that thing?!" Amy cried.

"That's a Swellow, Amy!" Volt explained quickly. "They're Flying-type Pokemon, and really proud ones at that! Once they get into a fight, they don't quit until they win!"

"Why didn't you say something, Amy?!" Rose shouted.

"I did but you didn't listen!" Amy wailed. "What do we do?!"

"Keep running and pray to Arceus that we don't run into a dead end!" Volt replied. "Man, if only we were strong enough to fight it!"

"Would this help?" Amy held up a seed with a small fireball carved on it.

"That's a Blast Seed! How did you find one?" Rose asked.

"It was on the ground while we were walking! Maybe it can slow that guy down?"

"Then throw it, Amy!" Volt instructed. "Throw that seed at the Swellow! Then we can fight it!"

"Okay!" Looking over her shoulder, the once-human Pikachu aimed and tossed the Blast Seed right at Swellow's face. "Take this!"

The moment the seed tapped Swellow's beak, it exploded into flames! Swellow screeched, beating its wings furiously in rage. "Now!" Volt cried, turning around to fight back. "Thundershock!" Electricity shot from his cheeks, electrocuting the Flying-type. Rose tossed in a Tackle and the bird was done for the count. "We did it! We beat a Swellow!"

"Good job finding that Blast Seed, Amy!" Rose complimented. "If you hadn't found it, we probably would've become bird food."

"Oh! Th-thanks, guys!" Amy said, blushing. "It was nothing. Volt, that was amazing! How did you do that?"

"You mean Thundershock?" Volt asked. "It's the basic Electric-type move for all Pikachu. You mean you don't know how to do it?"

"Uh, no. I don't think so,"

"…That's weird. It's something all Pikachu are born with." Volt muttered. "You really are a human then, especially if you can't even use Thundershock. Oh, I know! I'll teach you how!"

"You will?!" Amy cried.

"Yeah, sure!" Volt nodded.

"Hey, guys! Come look at this!" Rose called. "I think I found the stairs!"

"Finally!"

The two Pikachu entered the square-shaped clearing and spotted Rose by a set of stone stairs. When they stood by her side, the Skitty handed a blue berry to Amy. "Since you seem to be so good at finding items, I think you should hold any items we find. Blitz said we could only have one item at a time until we have a Ranger Bag." The Skitty padded up the stairs. "That's an Oran Berry, by the way. Keep it safe, Amy. We might need it soon!"

"O-okay!" Amy went up the stairs, followed closely by Volt. "I wonder if we get out now?"

"Maybe," Volt shrugged. "We'll find out in a sec, Amy."

As the trio vanished up into the second floor, the green lizard Pokemon appeared again. "Well, it looks like they have potential after all. They'll make good Ranger cadets," The Pokemon waited for a moment before racing up the stairs. He still had his job to do, after all, and that job was to keep an eye on the soon-to-be cadets in Beau Plains.

"Oh, man! No fair!" Rose wailed. "I thought we were out now!"

"I guess we have to keep going after all. Rose, stop that before an enemy hears you!" Volt cried.

"Fine! We'll keep going until we get out of here." Rose snarled. "Those Ranger guys are gonna have a piece of my mind when we get out of here. They expect us to do this on a daily basis? I don't think so!"

"Guys, I think I hear something in the grass!" Amy hissed, dropping to all fours in fear. "Maybe we should start moving."

"Good idea, Amy. Rose, where do we go?" Volt asked.

The Skitty groaned upon seeing three possible exits. "Eeny meeny miney moe, catch a Chimchar by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. My mother told me to pick the very best one and that is…you!" She started toward the middle exit. "This way, guys!"

The two Pikachu followed her, listening to the rustling in the grass behind them. As they walked, Volt started to try teaching Amy how to use Thundershock. "Feel the electricity in your cheeks? Focus and make it come out. That's it! You're doing it!" he praised.

"I am? Really?" Electricity was jumping from Amy's cheeks. "I'm actually doing it!"

"Now you have to focus on letting out a whole lot of those sparks, okay?" Volt instructed. "You can try it out on the next enemy we meet."

"Right!" Amy nodded. _This is incredible! Once a human, now a Pikachu. I'm even learning Pikachu's techniques! It seems so much like a dream…_

"Our next enemy is right ahead, guys!" Rose warned. "Amy, get ready. It's all yours."

"What is?"

"That Taillow!" the Skitty hissed, pointing to a bird-like Pokemon. It looked like a smaller version of Swellow. "Just move fast and attack immediately before it can strike back."

"Okay…" Amy crept forward through the grass, blue eyes locked onto her target. She stopped just two feet from the bird before jumping out. Closing her eyes, she focused on the electricity running through her cheeks. _Now! Thundershock, go!_

Electricity exploded from Amy's body, striking the ground only inches from the Taillow. Squawking in surprise, the bird twirled around and glared angrily at Amy. Shooting forward at lightning-fast speed, three razor-sharp talons tore across the female Pikachu's left arm. Amy screamed, scrambling backward.

"Amy!" Volt cried, charging. "Thundershock!"

The electric attack struck Taillow from behind, making it squawk in pain. Rose unleashed a Tackle and knocked it out. Both Pokemon approached the wounded Amy.

"Are you okay?" Volt asked.

"I…I think so." Amy winced as she got to her feet. Her arm hurt. "I don't think it's very deep. I'll be fine…I hope."

"Let's get going, you two!" Rose snapped, keeping the concern out of her voice despite the look on her face. "We still have a ways to go and nightfall is coming. You want to be out here all night?"

"But…" Volt started.

"She's right, Volt. We have to keep moving." Amy followed Rose out of the clearing, Volt falling in step only moments later. Ignoring the pain in her arm, Amy kept going. "How much farther, Rose?"

"How should I know? Do I look like a freaking Nosepass to you?" Rose growled.

"No," Amy muttered. _What's a Nosepass?_

"I didn't think so."

The trio managed to fight their way to the final floor, the fifth. Upon finding the staircase, they also found a Roselia blocking their way. "If you wish to pass this test and continue onward toward Poke Ranger Station, you will need to fight me," she informed them. "Show me your true power. Prove you are worthy of being on a Ranger Team!"

"Gladly! Thundershock!" Volt cried.

Roselia smiled before sidestepping the attack, only to lunge toward Volt and grab him. Twirling around gracefully, she tossed him at Rose and watched as the duo collided before crashing to the ground in a heap. Turning her attention to Amy, she unleashed a Poison Sting from the roses on her hands. Amy screamed as the violet needles pierced her skin. Roselia laughed softly as the Pikachu collapsed.

After a few moments, she turned her back on the fallen trio and stared into the tall grass. "It seems they weren't strong enough to pass the test, Ranger Head Grovyle. Shall I return them to Poke Town now?" she asked.

The grass rustled before a green gecko-like Pokemon stepped out. He shook his head. "No…not yet. It seems your battle isn't over yet."

"What?" Hearing a noise, Roselia turned around and stared in shock. "No way!"

Amy was struggling to her paws, tugging the violet needles out as she went. Small droplets of blood fell to the ground as each needle was pulled free, dropping to the ground with a soft _clink_. "I'm not…done yet…" she said. "I will…defeat you…I promise!"

"Well, well," Roselia chuckled. "You're a stubborn one, aren't you? Don't know when to give up? Just give up, kid. You've already failed the test."

"I'm not…giving up…" Amy shakily got up, eyes full of determination. "I refuse…to back down…after coming…this far…"

"…Incredible," Grovyle muttered. He turned his attention back to Roselia. "It seems the test isn't finished yet, Roselia. You know the rules. Continue the battle."

"Yes, sir," Roselia glared daggers at Amy. _Why can't this kid just roll over and give up? She's making me look bad! Especially in front of one of the Ranger Heads! The nerve of this kid…_ "Poison Sting!"

Amy dodged, running around to Roselia's right before unleashing a Thundershock. Roselia bit back a scream as the shock struck home, readying another Poison Sting. Just as she raised her roses to strike, another blast of electricity hit her from behind. Whirling around, she was met with a Tackle to the chest that left her winded. Volt and Rose were fighting, too!

"You guys are okay!" Amy cried.

"Of course we are, Amy!" Volt nodded, smiling.

"You really think we'd leave you to have all the fun? I don't think so." Rose looked at Roselia. "Let's finish this, guys!"

"Amy!" Volt cried.

The two Pikachu looked at each other before nodding. Racing around to either side of Roselia, they struck. "Double Thundershock!" they both shouted.

The Grass-type screamed, smoke curling up from the multiple burn marks on her body. Insane with rage, Roselia was about to strike with the three poisonous thorns on her head when pain erupted from her midsection. Stumbling, she collapsed at long last. Rose stood over the fallen Roselia, smiling.

"We did it, Rose! We passed the test!" Volt cheered. "We beat Roselia! We beat her!"

"You got that right!" the Skitty agreed. "Amy, great job keeping her busy while Volt and I recovered. That was pretty clever…for a beginner."

"Thanks, Rose." Amy blushed in embarrassment.

Ranger Head Grovyle simply smirked. _Looks like we have three more cadets on our hands, Garchomp. They'll make a great Ranger Team one day. But still…something bugs me about that Pikachu in the hat. What could it be?_

"Hey, you there!" Rose barked, catching the Grass-type's attention. "You're one of those Ranger Heads, right?"

"Yes," Grovyle nodded.

"What's the big idea?! You just stood there while my friends and I nearly got killed!" the Skitty growled angrily. "Is this how you treat cadets here? No wonder I never wanted to come here!"

"Then why are you here?" Grovyle asked. "You could've turned around and left of your own free will anytime you pleased. Why didn't you?"

"Well…um…" Rose looked down.

"So, did we pass? Are we Ranger cadets now?" Volt asked excitedly, practically jumping in happiness.

"Yes, you have passed. Follow me to the sixth floor and I will take you to the Poke Ranger station for enrollment." Grovyle held out a hand. "Now, if you would please give me the Oran Berry you found. I need Roselia to be prepared to fight any other possible cadets that might try to come through here."

"Sure, take it." Amy handed over the blue berry and watched the gecko feed it to the nearly-unconscious Roselia. She revived almost immediately. "Those berries do that? Cool!"

"You didn't know how to use an Oran Berry?" Grovyle asked. "You must not be from around these parts."

"You got that right." Volt agreed. _Amy's probably not even from our world! If she really is a human, she must be from another planet._

"Don't worry. You'll learn all the basics and such once you get enrolled by Garchomp." Grovyle reassured. "Follow me and stay close."

"Wait, Garchomp?" Volt asked. "_The_ Garchomp? He's here in Poke Ranger Station?!"

"Wait, I'm lost! Who's Garchomp?" Amy asked.

"He's a famous Ranger Head who created the Poke Ranger Station with his partner as a Gabite." Rose explained. "After building it, he was betrayed by his partner and has remained suspicious of strangers in case his old partner returns one day. He's pretty famous around here."

"Guys, we're leaving!" Volt called, climbing up the stairs after Grovyle.

Both female Pokemon followed them, only to stare in wonder at the sight before them. A large sparkling blue lake lay before them, surrounded by hundreds of colorful flowers and bright green grass. The beautiful orange-red sunset shone in the darkening sky above while puffy pink and purple clouds floated across the sky lazily. The entire sixth floor of the dungeon was beautiful.

Grovyle smiled at the children's wonder. "Yes, it is a beautiful place. Come along now, cadets. We have a short ways to go before we reach the Poke Ranger Station. After that, you can come back here after passing through this dungeon again. Roselia never bothers cadets or Ranger Teams, so you won't need to worry about encountering her."

"Okay," Amy couldn't tear her eyes from the scene. She could faintly remember seeing a place like this, only with brilliant reddish-pink flowers growing near a glacier. _Have I seen something like that before? What did I just see?_ She thought. _Maybe a piece of my human life? Perhaps I'll find out more in the future…_

Leaving the lake and flowers far behind them, the three cadets and Ranger Head Grovyle could spot a building in the distance. As they came closer, they spotted the figure of a large draconic Pokemon standing in front of the doors. It was Ranger Head Garchomp, leader of the Poke Ranger Station. Grovyle nodded as they stopped before him.

"So, you three are the new cadets? Grovyle said you were coming. He has a knack for knowing which kids manage to get this far." Garchomp chuckled. "It's good to meet you. I'm Garchomp, Ranger Head and leader of this Ranger Station. Are you here to become cadets?"

"Yes, we are!" Volt nodded eagerly. "I'm Volt! This is Rose and Amy, my friends."

"Volt, Rose, and Amy. I'll make sure to remember those names." Garchomp noted. "Come inside. After you enroll, you'll meet your fellow cadets and eat dinner. You can visit Blissey and Ranger Head Milotic if you have any injuries, which I'm sure you do."

Amy's arm seemed to throb even more now. "Yes, sir," she nodded. Her hat slipped, hiding her blue eyes slightly.

"Now, you'll need a team name for your Ranger Team." Grovyle added.

"How about…Team Thunderstorm? Our attacks against Roselia seemed like a thunderstorm. I think it fits us well." Volt said.

"Thunderstorm…I like it. That's our team name." Amy agreed.

Rose grumbled a bit before nodding. _Not like I'm staying here much longer. They'll regret ever trying to change me._

"Welcome to Poke Ranger Base, Team Thunderstorm." Garchomp welcomed, giving a toothy smile. "I'll show you around the base before I show you your room. After that, we'll meet the other cadets and finish it off with a well-cooked meal by Ranger Head Meganium. How does that sound?"

"Good!" Amy said.

"Yummy! I'm starving!" Volt complained.

"You'll love Meganium's food. She's the best cook in all of Poke Town." Grovyle chuckled. "I'll be off to see if Arcanine will be joining us. Good luck, Team Thunderstorm."

As the gecko Pokemon hopped off, Garchomp led the cadets into the base and began the tour. Amy and Volt listened intently, trying to remember every word and place. Rose ignored Garchomp, focusing on escape plans and possible hideouts to head for once she got out. She didn't want to stay here. She'd get out if it was the last thing she did.

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So, how was it? I've changed Palkia's gender to that of a guy so he is no longer an 'it'. Sorry for the delay, school has kept me so busy that it's not funny. I can't wait until summer vacation comes.

I've put some information and history of the Shadow Wolves in my PMD2 story into my profile, so check it out if you've been reading PMD2: Explorations of Time and Darkness. You can PM me if you have ideas and such about it. I appreciate any and all help.

I'm working on another PMD2 story that takes place in the paralyzed future. I'll be putting a summary up on my profile if you want to check it out. Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter. Please review!


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